The present invention relates generally to improvements in cameras and it relates particularly to an improved camera film loading mechanism.
The most common type of conventional camera film easy loading mechanism is equipped with a film takeup spool provided with a takeup claw or claws located proximate the film insertion path traversed by the leader of the roll film, a takeup claw engaging the film to roll it up on the spool. However, this type of film takeup spool is provided with an extremely narrow film insertion slit along the insertion path, the width of the slit being slightly larger than the thickness of a film. This makes it difficult to insert the film leader into and along the film insertion path, resulting in a very awkward and troublesome film loading operation.
There have been proposed a wide variety of film loading mechanisms for eliminating the defects of the earlier mechanisms. Most of these mechanisms include rotatable or swingable flap members provided on the spool body so that the film leader is automatically engaged by the flap members to be taken up on the spool body, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,935, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 44-16294, and Japanese Utility Model Laid Open Publication No. 53-139843. All of these film loading mechanisms require that the film leader be within the rotatable path of the flap members. Due to film curl or a difference in flexibility between the various films employed, however, the film leader often deviates from the rotatable path of the flap members even though initially set therein, thereby resulting in a film loading failure.